THE LATEST Greater Manchester Business Survey has been launched by New Economy, in partnership with Business Growth Hub, BMG Research, Manchester City Council, Rochdale Council, and Trafford Council. It can be viewed here.
General boost in confidence upheld by an increase in jobs growth and overall improvements to economic performance
The title of the release from New Economy, - a wholly owned company of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority - is 'Latest survey finds business is booming'.
The survey incorporates responses from more than 1,200 businesses across the conurbation. It conveys a general boost in confidence which is upheld by an increase in jobs growth and overall improvements to economic performance.
50% of the businesses surveyed are optimistic about the year ahead and expect their turnover to increase over 2013. Only 7% anticipate their turnover will decrease this year, whilst 33% expect it to stay the same.
Dr Alexander Roy, acting deputy director for New Economy, said: “It is encouraging to see that economic sentiment is improving across Greater Manchester, which is reflected by the boost to business performance levels and to perceptions of the conurbation as a place to trade.
“However, there remain some significant challenges. Not least around Greater Manchester’s links with international markets, by which there is still room for improvement. Though the signs suggest we are moving in the right direction with interest growing in trading with the BRICs markets in particular.
“In addition, half of the firms interviewed also said they expect an increase in turnover this year. It is therefore likely that the effects of this will have an impact on international trade efforts over the long-term.”
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “It’s encouraging to see an increasing climate of business optimism in Manchester and important that Manchester City Council and its partners, private and public alike, keep working together to ensure the right conditions for businesses to flourish and local people to benefit from that growth, whether that’s improved connectivity to help compete in a global market or a pool of people with the right skills to access the jobs created.
“Manchester has weathered this downturn better than many places but we should not underestimate the scale of the ongoing challenge.”
To download the Greater Manchester Business Survey 2013 in full click here.
'Booming' - really?
This is good news but it was rash to use the word 'booming' in the title of the release sent out by New Economy.
A walk around Rochdale, one of the report's sponsors, will show there's a long way to go. While sterling work has been done and is being done in and about the Esplanade, one of the grandest civic spaces in the UK, a diversion up Yorkshire Street or Drake Street paints a different picture.
Of course much of the evident poverty is down to changing patterns of retail which has left much of the town centre the domain of low income groups.
Lacklustre reaction to these changes by Rochdale Council over decades has contributed to this middle class flight, an atitude of managing decline rather than of energising the economy in a borough with good motorway links, big pockets of natural beauty and that Esplanade with a magnificent Town Hall surrounded by gardens.
But the greater issue is the lack of jobs on decent wages, a northern issue as much as a Rochdale one. A measure of 'boom' will be a much larger increase in employment and physical evidence of ambition and aspiration on the streets of the town.
Of course Rochdale is not alone in this.
Many areas of Greater Manchester are in the same boat, a recent tour around Moston for example underlined the problems.
Again this report is very welcome but if this is a 'boom' it'd be good if it was a little more obvious.
JS
Town Hall, Church, Gardens
